March 30, 2021

Logos

May 17, 2023

Accessible Academics Receives Community Transition Services Grant

(BUFFALO) – Accessible Academics is thrilled to announce that The Children's Guild Foundation (TCGF) has awarded us a grant of $15,400 to provide transition services for high school students with disabilities in Western New York. This exciting opportunity will allow us to bridge the gap and provide comprehensive transition programming for students with Individualized Education Program (IEPs), their families, and the professionals who serve them.

“One of The Children's Guild Foundation's focus areas is to help students, families, and professionals understand the resources available to them, including self-advocacy skills and available disability resources after high school,” said Margaret M. Zak, TCGF board chair. “Funding Accessible Academics in this work ensures these services are available in our community.”

"We are grateful to The Children's Guild Foundation for their generous grant, which will help us provide crucial transition services to students with disabilities in Western New York," said Accessible Academics CEO Anne Showers. "By working together with The Children's Guild Foundation, we can create a more inclusive and accessible world for children with disabilities."

Accessible Academics provides life, academic, and vocational support to students with mental health, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and other learning differences so that they may gain skills, earn credentials, be more employable in the job market, and live independently in the community. To learn more about our organization, please visit www.accessibleacademics.org.

The Children’s Guild Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults with special needs in Western New York through its grant funding and advocacy work focused within healthcare, education, therapeutic recreation, and research. 

www.cg.foundation
 

May 17, 2023

The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at Oishei Children’s Hospital (OCH) Celebrates World Autism Month

April marks “World Autism Month” and the celebration of those with autism, their family, friends, caretakers, physicians and everyone close to them. Not just a month of awareness, April serves to empower the stories, experiences and all those touched by autism, including the amazing children and their families that The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at Oishei Children’s Hospital (OCH) serves each and every day.

The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at OCH:

The CDC estimates that 1 in 36 children will be diagnosed with autism, and The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center at OCH is fully equipped to help those children and their loved ones navigate the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support they need. The Center provides comprehensive rehabilitation services consisting of diagnostic, evaluative and therapeutic services to children across Western New York.

The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center could not operate and serve our families in the region without the generous support we receive from the community, including gifts from the Center’s namesake, The Children’s Guild Foundation. In addition to the very impactful contribution The Children’s Guild Foundation made to name and develop the center, in 2022, they made a three-year, $630,000 to support outpatient services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders at OCH.

This grant was instrumental in the development and hiring of a board-certified behavioral analyst at The Robert Warner Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation and The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Center. This analyst allows the Center to offer individualized assistance for children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and the families that support them. Additionally, the grant also allowed the Center to hire a social worker to complete social determinants of health screenings for our families and children diagnosed with autism.  The social worker meets with patients and families to determine individual needs, linking them to support groups and resources in the community.

“The work of The Children’s Guild Foundation is much more than grant making.  We blend grant making and advocacy to ensure our vision to promote impactful and effective change for children with special needs and their families is not just a hope, but something that is achieved.  Our partnership with OCH in the establishment of a dedicated Autism Spectrum Center and applied behavioral analysis program exemplifies this achievement,” Catherine Gura, president of The Children’s Guild Foundation

“Having a board-certified behavioral analyst on staff allows us to offer an even higher level of care to our patients. Most importantly, it enables us to significantly impact the health and life quality for the families we serve.” – Vicki Landes, vice president of integrated health at Kaleida Health.

About The Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation
The Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation supports the care, programs, education and equipment at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. Through the generosity of individuals, foundations, employees and corporations, the Foundation is able to help John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital achieve best possible outcomes for moms, children and babies in Western New York, provide charity care for those in need and educate clinical experts.

About The Children’s Guild Foundation
For 113 years, The Children’s Guild Foundation has had a single Purpose and Passion — supporting children with special needs. The Children's Guild Foundation’s mission is to make financial grants and to serve as advocates to 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations serving children with special needs throughout the eight counties of Western New York. To accomplish this mission, it strives to form working partnerships with healthcare professionals, medical researchers, educators and therapeutic recreational experts who are dedicated to meeting the ongoing challenges that affect children with special needs and their families.

Social Media: Facebook, Instagram & Twitter @ochbuffalo
###

February 9, 2022

Born 3 months premature, ‘built-in, lifelong NICU nurse’ being trained by first caregiver: By Scott Scanlon WNY REFRESH EDITOR

Nurses Amy DeSantis, left, and Courtney Schiersing have had a strong bond ever since DeSantis served as Schiersing’s primary caregiver in Women & Children’s Hospital’s NICU after she was born more than 3 months early in 1999. DeSantis is now helping to train Schiersing as a NICU nurse. 

January 1, 2022

In Buffalo, Two Foundation Leaders Follow Their Work to Surprising New Roles

Following the Work Wherever It Leads

September 30, 2019

The Children's Guild Foundation of Buffalo has awarded a grant to Heritage Christian Services for the Free to be Me/Club Adventure

Heritage Christian Services (HCS) is a nonsectarian human services agency that supports over 2,000 children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) from across Buffalo and Rochester, NY through a multitude of programs including respite care, community habilitation, employment supports, residential programming, and recreational activities. The agency was incorporated as Heritage Christian Home in 1980 and opened its first home for nine children with developmental disabilities in 1984. In 2003, Heritage Christian Home changed its name to Heritage Christian Services, to more accurately reflect the range of programs now offered.

September 30, 2019

The Children's Guild Foundation of Buffalo has awarded a grant to Gateway-Longview for Interaction Therapy for Preschool Aged Children with Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities

With this project, and working through our commitment to solution-focused and trauma-informed approaches, the hope is to incorporate evidence-based, dyadic behavior intervention modalities specifically designed for children who struggle emotionally, socially, developmentally and behaviorally at home, at school, and in the community. Student’s behaviors, which are often related to a developmental, learning, or intellectual disability, can be challenging for families to understand and navigate at their child’s young age.

To that end, Gateway Longview’s Early Intervention Learning Site looks to introduce the complimentary approaches of Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), both of which are evidence-based observation and live feedback techniques. Specifically, through the incorporation of TCIT and PCIT, we look to:
1) Increase parental, teacher, and student confidence, resulting in greater participation in life and learning opportunities, wellness skills, and overall independence,
2) Increase positive functioning of children in public settings, resulting in expanded student and family participation in social activities,
3) Increase knowledge and ability to utilize technology available, resulting in enhanced interventions and assessments that are specific to each child’s needs.

By consistently reinforcing positive behaviors at school, at home, and in the community, the project aims to equip both parents and educators with proven supports to ensure strong building blocks for successful integration for the children in their care into various aspects of the communities around them.

September 30, 2019

The Children's Guild of Buffalo has awarded a grant to The Arc of Erie County for the Green Acres Pre-School Playground

This project, an ADA-approved inclusive special needs playground, along with other therapeutic outdoor equipment is located on the property of The Arc's Preschool Education program located at 205 Yorkshire Road in Tonawanda. This equipment will play a crucial role in the physical and occupational therapy plans contained in the Individual Education Programs for more than 260 children daily. The intent is not only for this equipment to serve as a therapeutic tool for the students but also to promote inclusiveness with all of the community members, parents and kids. Parkitects, Inc., a highly respected playground/equipment installer has completed numerous projects for public sites and programs like the Green-Acres Playground. 

In addition, the organization has partnered with Jason Evchich of Mason’s Mission, a local Foundation dedicated to constructing inclusive programs in Western New York. Jason has agreed to serve as the project’s chairperson and liaison with Parkitects. Jason has two children currently enrolled at Green Acres.

September 30, 2019

The Children's Guild Foundation of Buffalo has awarded a grant to SABAH, Inc. for The Children's Guild Foundation's Summer Athlete's Gold at Heart Program

SABAH provides adaptive physical education over the summer months to children challenged by disability and economic disadvantage.  The turf-based physical education program provides a curriculum for children challenged by disability in the region's schools.